1) Be honest. You’re hoping your ad will attract someone with whom you can build a relationship. It is just plain silly to start that potential relationship on a lie. Not only is it a waste of your time to dream up a lie, but what will you do when you go to meet someone who is expecting a six-foot blonde and you’re a five-foot brunette? Expect him to stick around because your other qualities make up for misleading him? You want someone to be interested in the real you, not in some image you invent to catch her eye. Besides, once you start to lie, it becomes very difficult to keep track of all the untruths you create. Don’t do it.

2) Highlight the positives. If you feel you have a strong point, then mention it. Do you have a good sense of humor? Perhaps you have an interesting or unusual hobby that you’d like to share with someone. This is definitely information you want someone else to know about you. Make sure you share it. Can’t think of anything to really highlight about yourself? One recommendation in the book “Dating for Dummies" is to think of what your parents love about you. A trait that makes your parents proud is probably worth mentioning, though you might want to avoid actually mentioning your parents in your ad.

3) Don’t share too much. Give enough information to show who you are but not too much. The fact that you snore or eat Limburger cheese every night is not information you need to give someone before you’ve even met them. Not sharing everything makes sense from another point of view as well. Today’s world can be dangerous. Be sure to share information safely.

4) Let your personality shine through. Your ad needs to give readers an idea of who you are, so try to make sure the words you choose really sound like you. If you have a laid-back personality, try to keep your ad from sounding stilted or too prim and proper. If you’re someone who is a bit more reserved, then you won’t want to sound like someone who is completely wild and uninhibited in your ad. If you have a sense of humor this should be shared with potential dates, but be sure to check your sarcasm before starting to write. Remember moderation is not a bad thing, especially when first “meeting" someone through the words of your ad.

5) Use your words effectively. It’s easy to say that you like, or even love, country music, except that’s a problem, the very easiness of saying it. Instead try to find words that truly express your feelings—actively. Rather than saying, “Country music is exciting", try “Country music excites me". It’s a small difference but say the two aloud and see which one is more effective and sounds more alive. While you don’t need a thesaurus, stay away from overused clichés such as “looking for a soul mate". Isn’t everyone looking for a soul mate? You want to rise above the rest, stand out from the crowd. Take time to hone your ad and truly have it reflect you.

6) Remember that this is a selling tool. While this may sound counter-intuitive or even downright icky, you are trying to “sell" yourself to a potential significant other. This is why you want to be honest, because you don’t want to misrepresent yourself. Nor do you want to write a trite or clichéd ad. Potential “buyers" will take one look at a tired, heard-it-all-before ad and skip right over it. That’s why it’s so important to craft your ad with such care.

While looking for a relationship may be a serious business, it shouldn’t be deadly serious. Keep a good perspective on what you’re doing, and have fun. If your ad isn’t receiving much attention—or the wrong kind of attention—then rewrite it. Your ad is just the first step in the process of meeting the right person, not the end of the road.

In the end, writing an ad is a personal adventure. Ask friends whether they think the ad you’ve created reflects the true you. Listen to their suggestions, so long as they don’t lead you to lie, exaggerate, or otherwise obviously mess up your presentation of yourself. Ultimately, though, it is your ad, and you must make the final decision of what to say. Good luck, and have fun creating your perfect ad!